Dec. 26, 2012

Port of Guam: A ship full of containers is docked at the commercial port earlier this year. Contract negotiations between a dockworkers' union and management groups could force a strike in the eastern mainland and cause congestion on the West Coast, resulting in delays in shipments to Guam. Masako Watanabe/Pacific Daily News/mwatanabe@guampdn.com

Written by

Cameron Miculka
Pacific Daily News

A potential strike on the mainland's East Coast ports could affect cargo shipments to Guam and other Pacific ports.

The International Longshoremen's Association -- a union representing dockworkers on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts -- and the U.S. Maritime Alliance -- a group of carriers and port employers -- are currently locked in a stalemate over the issue of royalties paid to workers, said Michael N. Hansen, president of the Hawaii Shippers Council.

Hansen said that without an agreement between the groups or presidential intervention, the workers will draw the picket line Sunday, Dec. ...